15 Fun Hobbies for College Students

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, college students spend their days divided into specific time frames. Included are traveling, educational activities, working, eating, grooming, sleeping, and others. The statistics show that in addition to these activities, college students spend at least four hours on leisure activities.

If you don’t already have a hobby, we have some ideas for you to think about.

Here are 15 fun hobbies for college students.

Fun Hobbies for College Students

Some students consider sports and athletics to be leisure, others consider hanging with friends to be a leisure activity. Both are hobbies.

As a college student, you may not think you have time for a hobby. Between academic assignments and exams, working part-time, and fulfilling duties of a club you joined, you already feel overwhelmed.

Feeling overwhelmed is exactly the reason you need a hobby.

Having a hobby has many benefits, including stress relief, encourage you to take a well-needed break, and some can lead to additional income.

Hobbies help you make new connections and they can prevent you from making choices that are negative, like using drugs and alcohol. They keep you from wasting time that can often lead to bad habits.

Having a hobby has also been known to improve self-confidence, enhance spirituality, and keep you healthy both mentally and physically.

Now that you know a few of the benefits, it’s time to explore fifteen hobbies that are perfect for college students.

1. Game Nights

Getting together with friends or residents of your dorm to play games can be very enjoyable. Game nights can include video gaming, board games or playing cards. Games are an inexpensive way to have fun.

You can rotate who chooses the game each time.

2. Paint Night

Show your creative side and pick up a fun hobby by participating in a paint night event. You can even schedule an event on campus. Or, if someone in your circle is an artist, he or she can lead the event.

Each student pays for their own supplies, which is usually less than ten dollars. The artists teach each of you how to complete a painting with a theme that can be picked by the group. You will enjoy seeing who has a hidden talent, and who doesn’t.

3. Camping or Glamping

Enjoying the outdoors is a great hobby for college students. Camping with friends can be exciting when you pick a great location, throw up a few tents, and sit around a campfire talking for most of the night.

If you are not into sleeping in a tent and roughing it, go glamping instead. Borrow or rent a camper or RV for the weekend. Or, stay in a cabin located at a campground. You can still enjoy the campfire and time with friends, only you sleep indoors instead of out.

4. Visit the Animal Shelter

A rewarding hobby for college students is one in which you give back. There are many animal shelters filled with pets that do not have a home. While you may not be able to adopt a pet, you can still visit the shelter and spend time with one.

Spending time with animals is also considered a good stress reducer.

5. Book Club

Reading is a fun activity for college students. Many college students already read books on their own. Why not join or start a book club and read books as a group. This gives you an opportunity to discuss the book in detail and get feedback from peers about the characters.

Each student can choose a book to read that is in their favorite genre. This allows you to get to know your peers better also.

6. Pen Pals

Having a pen pal is an old school hobby that now has a modern flair with the use of technology. You can join a pen pal club or start one of your own. There are many ways, both online and off, to connect with others around the world.

This is a hobby for college students that needs precautions. You don’t want to end up writing to someone in prison, so make sure your pen pal is legit.

7. Cooking or Baking

Everybody loves food. A fun hobby for college students is to enjoy the food you create. Create a weekly get together that involves cooking and baking and eating. Or, take a cooking class at the local culinary school.

Sharing meals together has been a way for people to get to know each other. If you are cooking and baking together, you can learn more about a person’s culture too.

8. Talent Shows

You have a talent. You do. And your friends want to know what it is. Share your talents by attending open mic nights, entering contests, or putting together your own show.

All college students have special skills. It’s time to showcase them on a regular basis.

9. Podcasting

Want a hobby where you can say anything you want; on any topic you want? Podcasting is a great hobby for college students who are seeking an outlet for their voice. Or, for those who just want to talk about a subject without interruption.

You can gain followers through podcasting and even make some extra money. It’s time to pick your topic.

10. Thrift Store Hopping

There is so much stuff to buy for so little cost. Research items that can be easily flipped on eBay and hit all the thrift stores in search of those items. This is a great way to make a few extra bucks each week. Plus, you just never know when you will find that one item that turns into a major treasure.

11. T-shirt Designer

You have great ideas, cute sayings that pop into your head every day. Why not put those down on a t-shirt and make some money? There are many t-shirts on demand sites that allow you to complete the whole process online, without any money upfront.

You design the shirt, they do everything else, including shipping, for a percentage of your sales.

You can even start a t-shirt design club with your friends, earning money to fund your other hobbies while in college.